6 things to know before you start quilting

6 things to know before you start quilting

Every new hobby is exciting and only once you are knee deep in the new hobby you will learn a thing or two. Quilting is exciting and intimidating for beginners at the same time. There are so much to learn and so many choices to makes. Nothing is easy here. Every choice you make will have a role in the future. So learning to make the right choices are important.

So here are a few things you should know before getting into quilting.

1. Selecting good fabric is a basic skill

Most of the people don’t see selecting fabric as a skill. But it is a skill necessary for quilting. Looking for colours and patterns can be a daunting task. But like any other skill, it takes time to get polished. The more you quilt, the more fabric you buy and the more you buy the better you get at selecting fabric.

Also, remember selecting good fabric is important too because if you select cheap fabric your quilts can literally fall off.

2. Start simple

People are often inspired to start quilting by some complex works. And often they want to tackle these complex quilts right after they start. Of course, it results in failure and results in them quitting quilting. Like any other skill, quilting takes time, practice and patience. Start simple so that you can tackle complex ones along the way.

3. Take care of your tools

This is important. You should learn to take care of your tools. All tools must always be well oiled. Not taking care of your tools is a mistake that a lot of beginners make. Frequent services of your sewing machine is also a must. Also, try to talk to an expert about taking care of your machine.

4. Join a group

Quilting groups provide a lot of amazing opportunities to learn. You can also meet a lot of like-minded people and this can lead to a lot of new friendships. Advice and demonstrations from experienced quilters are always a bonus. These groups can also keep you from not quitting quilting.

5. Don’t be afraid to ask questions

I think this is true while learning any new skill. As a beginner you may have a lot of doubts and most of them may be stupid. But clearing your doubts is important. People who are afraid to ask questions often assume and these assumption turns out to be wrong in most of the cases. So don’t be afraid to ask for questions. Even if they are stupid.

6. Don’t follow trends

This too applies in case of learning a new skill. There will always be new trends. So if try to follow a new trend as soon as it comes out, you may never learn a single thing. Don’t do things because someone else likes it. Do things that you like. Don’t consider this as a job. This is your passion, your hobby. Do what you love.

All of the above tips can be of great help to a beginner. There are a lot more tips to add here but these are the ones I felt was important enough.